The field of the present invention is dental restorations.
Dentistry has long involved the creation of replacement appliances such as crowns and bridges for diseased and damaged teeth. Such restorations need to be hard and durable to function as a crown or bridge when mounted in the patient. Properly formed appliances of metal, acrylic resin and ceramics can meet such performance requirements. Among the ceramics, zirconium dioxide (zirconia) is a favored material because of its hard and durable properties. Although favored for dental restorations because of its hardness and durability, fabricating restorations from zirconia can be a time-consuming process with significant material waste, which can exceed 75%.
Dental restorations often begin with an impression of the patient's teeth covering the area of interest. Impressions can be made from a number of materials such as wax, agar based hydrocolloids and the like. From an impression, a casting is created, typically of gypsum, duplicating the area of interest where the impression was taken. In a modern dental lab, a digital scan of the casting is then made and the restoration designed therefrom using computer aided design. A pre-sintered block of zirconia can then be milled using the digital design to create a restoration. The pre-sintered zirconia restoration is then fully sintered. Final touch-up, glazing and coloration may be undertaken as needed before installation in the patient.